Lean On Me
by flashpenguin
Summary: Garcia helps Derek after a wild night on the town. Done for the FF forum challenge 3.


_Just a quick one-shot to help finish up the challenge. Pen helps Derek out after a night on the town. I am not sure if the person who chose the prompts was looking for the story to go in this direction, but I wrote it the way the characters dictated. If it isn't any good, blame Garcia and Morgan because it's their story!_

_Prompts: Alarm clock, pencil, and pomegranate_

_Song Prompt: "Lean On Me" by Club Nouveau_

* * *

Lean On Me

Penelope Garcia loved her little hideaway dungeon. She made her own answers, searched for her own clues, and when not requested by the BAU, was her own boss. Plus it gave her the perfect opportunity to spy on her little chicks. Oh, everyone knew that she was the mother hen of Hotch's BAU team- someone had to keep the kids in line and give them some order. If it wasn't Hotch doing one thing, or Rossi trying to one up him by doing another, or her baby brother Reid going off the deep end occasionally, it was Prentiss rushing head first into danger.

But of all her chicks, it was her perfect combination of chocolate and vanilla swirl who gave her the most fits and kept her awake at night. Okay, she was long past the idea and fantasy of him ever getting down on one knee and making it real, but that didn't mean her feelings shut off over night. Especially after last night.

Someone needed to remind Derek that he was forty years old and a little old to impress the bimbettes who flocked to him like he was some kind of movie star. Hmmmph! If only they knew the real Derek Morgan.

She was almost ready to let them in on the little secret of the player beneath the sexy outward appearance, when he passed out cold in the booth. And on her! His head resting between her breasts…his breath hot and warm and potent enough to burn the air off her arm…and he was out cold!

With the help of a bouncer, they got him out to Esther and buckled in. But it took everything she had to get him up four flights of stairs to her flat. For once in her life she wished she had taken the flat on the first floor when she had the chance.

Propping Derek on the couch, Pen set about getting him comfortable. In all of her dreams she had never imagined undressing the love of her life while he was passed out cold on her couch in her living room. But the moment was all too real.

"_I love you Derek Morgan. You can be a real jerk sometimes, but I still love you. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," she whispered before dropping a light kiss on his forehead and covering him with a blanket._

_Her alarm clock had woken them both up at the crack of dawn. She had jumped out of bed ready to take on the world. And after a quick shower and turning on the news, Pen ducked her head out to see if Derek was up._

_He was up, and so was his grouchiness. "Dammit Penelope!" he barked, holding his head. "Do you have to have the TV up so loud?"_

"_Sure do," she answered in a chirpy tone. "I don't believe TVs belong in the main room, and if I don't turn it up, I can't hear what they are saying."_

"_That makes no sense."_

"_It makes perfect sense to me." Moving around the kitchen area, she threw a couple of items in the microwave and hit start. "Where do you keep your men's magazines? I bet not on the coffee table."_

"_Wise ass."_

"_Sure am." The beeper went off loudly causing Derek to groan._

"_Are you trying to kill me?"_

"_What do you mean?" Pen questioned innocently and placed the biscuits on a plate. Carefully she poured two cups of coffee. Taking all three into the living room, she handed a cup to Derek. "Here. This will clear your brain."_

"_Thanks. How much did I drink last night?"_

"_I think the proper question should be: how much did you leave for the other patrons? I'm surprised that you have a hang-over considering how much you danced last night. I thought you would have worked all that alcohol out of your system."_

_Derek took a sip of his coffee and spit it back in. "What the hell is this?" he growled._

"_Chicory."_

"_What the hell is Chicory?"_

"_It's a coffee substitute. It's popular in New Orleans."_

"_Baby Girl, we live in Virginia. Here we drink real coffee."_

"_Well, I had to give you something to help bring you out of your hang-over before I set you loose in the BAU."_

_Contrite, Derek took another sip, made a face and then set the mug down. "I guess I'd better freshen up so you can take me home."_

_Pen extended the plate toward him. "Want a bite before we leave?"_

_Derek shook his head. "Uh…thanks but no thanks." Standing up he cocked his head toward the hallway. "The bathroom is down this way?"_

"_Yep."_

So, Derek freshened up and she took him back to his place. And he never told her thank you, Pen mused as she watched the information from the dozens of task force data systems splayed across her dozen plasma screens.

Tapping her pencil on the desk to the song in her head, Pen didn't hear the door quietly open or the foot steps that crept up behind her. But she knew he was there.

"You entered without permission," Pen scolded. She was still angry at him, but her level of anger had dropped considerably over the past two hours.

"I didn't think you'd let me enter." Derek sat down on the corner of the desk and relished in the quiet darkness of the room. The cool temp helped his head.

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for last night and this morning."

Pen kept her eyes forward. "Okay. You may leave now."

Derek took spun her around to face him. "I was wrong to snap at you the way I did. I guess I was just embarrassed that you were the one who saw me at my worst. How can I make it up to you?"

"I am only forgiving you because I love you so much. You know that, right?"

"The only reason I dared to come in here after I treated you so badly was because I know you love me enough to give me a second chance."

"Second?" Pen raised her eyebrows.

"Third?" Derek asked.

"Not even warm."

"Ah man…it's going to take a while to work my way back, isn't it?"

"Hmmm, I don't know about that." Reaching into her bag, Pen pulled out a large plastic bottle and handed it to Derek. "Here, drink this."

Derek pulled back. "What is that?"

"It's for your hang-over. I figured since you didn't like my coffee, you might like this."

Derek opened the container and sniffed. "You don't have coffee, Baby Girl, you have mud."

"Drink."

Taking a few swallows, Morgan smacked his lips. "This is good. What is it?"

"Pomegranate juice. It's good for you."

Leaning down, Derek settled his lips on hers for a sweet brief kiss.

"You're good for me, Penelope," Derek whispered. Taking his drink, he stood up and left the room. Tapping her pencil against her hand, Pen's mouth curved in a soft knowing smile.

"Ditto."


End file.
